There are some other ways for your computer to get infected, but these are the main ways. I want to start off your new year with some tips on avoiding this junk that will mess up your computer.
The analogy I always use about Viruses and Malware is to compare them to criminals (which the people who make these are.) You have the criminals who just want to spray paint on a building or break out some windows to be recognized or feel big. This is Malicious, thus the term Mal-ware.
Then there are those who rob banks or embezzle money for profit or gain. Virus/Malware makers that do it for gain are just the same. They make money by swindling people out of their money for fake antivirus programs or they get paid by companies to write ads that push their product on you, or steal someone's identity.
This is the one year anniversary of this blog, and I have enjoyed all the work I have done and positive feedback I have received. So to kick off the new year, here are the top 5 ways you can make your computer safe from viruses and other crud!
1. Stay Away from Applications or Apps on Websites
We all hear the term Apps, but what are they actually? On cell phones they are usually cool programs or Applications that do cool stuff. On computers they are supposed to be the same.
Apps on computers are mainly used on the social network sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, Friendster and others. These are programs, usually little games that seem cute, fun or cool. These apps can be things like Mafia Wars, Throwing a pie or water balloon at someone, send a kiss, adopt a pet, join my clan and more. I have even seen a train simulation game.
The problem with Apps is that they are not created or written by the website, but by a 3rd party. That means someone creates them that you don't know or trust, nor does the website. Many times the website will even warn you when you go to play, WARNING, this is a 3rd party application... and they even go on to warn you of viruses and such.
The Key to not getting infected: STAY AWAY and do not get sucked in, even if that nice brother of yours asked you to play. I cannot tell you how many computers I clean up have been using these apps quite a bit.
Kids and adults love these things, but they are trouble for your computer and you are asking for problems if you use this junk. The catch is, these programs seem cool since they are free and EVERYONE is playing them.
2. Rogue Antivirus and Security Programs
Above I mentioned Friendster, which is definitely a big culprit in this area, but even worse, just going to this site will load viruses on to your computer. We call this a Drive By Infection.
Rogue Antivirus and Security programs have exploded and have seen huge numbers of computers infected with these viruses in the second half of 2009.
Here is how they get on your computer. Usually a message pops up and says you have viruses and need to click here for a full scan.
If you are not paying attention to see if this is your Antivirus program, and you click on it anywhere, even to close it, it will load onto your computer and you are infected. It does not go away easily after that.
Then later they want you to pay $50-$75 to remove all the stuff it "says" it found. These programs are called fake antivirus programs, they charge you and do nothing.
Last April I wrote about these programs and specifically the bogus WinAntiVirus 2009, well it is back as WinAntivirus 2010, WinAntiSpyware 2010, Eco Antivirus, and just about anything else you can think of that sounds official.
They are all scams and will only infect your computer if you even click on them. You have to close the window without clicking on it, and I have directions on how to get out of it safely.
http://paulrepair.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-stay-away-from-bogus-win_05.html
The Key to not getting infected on this one: Know how to close the window without loading it on your computer (see the link above), and know what your Antivirus program is and when it is asking you things or telling you things. If you have Norton or Trend and the pop up box says Windows Pest Patrol, then something fishy is going on, and you want to avoid it!
3. Pay for a good Anti-Virus Program
The key is to keep it up to date and make sure it is always turned on and working. Sounds simple, but you would be amazed at how many infected computers come in here that have virus definitions that are over a month old. Antivirus programs will update daily and some several times a day to make sure you have the latest definitions to stop the latest bad stuff.
I recommend Trend Micro Internet Security and Sunbelt's Vipre Antivirus. These are my two top favorite programs for keeping your computer safe. I still think Norton & McAfee are not the best programs available. They are both resource hogs and have a lot of issues. Both Trend and Vipre do not slow down the computer down as much and work really well.
4. Clean up your temporary files often
Most people don't realize this but every time you go to a website, that information is stored on your computer until you dump it. Viruses love to hide in this area. Also cleaning up the computer's other temporary files will keep things running better.
Here is a link on using Crap Cleaner, a program I really like.
5. Keep Windows Updated
The updates that Windows performs on a regular basis are VERY important and always have some sort of new fix for security issues that were found. Another common thing I see on computers that are infected with junk is that they do not have the latest updates. Service Packs are also very important.
If you have Windows XP, you should have SP3 installed, and if you are running Vista you should have SP2. Each Service Pack (SP) contains a huge amount of fixes and updates all rolled up into one.
This is a previous blog on checking for updates and making sure you have it turned on.
I know a lot of people fear updates because sometimes they change stuff, or cause problems on the system. The truth is it does happen, but it is better to get the updates and take those chances than it is to leave yourself vulnerable to attack by Viruses and Malware.
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